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The Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education is an individualized program designed for art education professionals who are dedicated to understanding, interpreting, and positioning themselves in relation to the language, theory, and social context of the arts and visual culture. Students in the program prepare to become exemplary facilitators and designers of active learning in schools, museums, cultural institutions, alternative community settings, and interactive media.

In keeping with the critical and diverse role that the arts and visual culture play in society, MA in Art Education students investigate the dynamic relationship between personal experience, professional goals, art education, and the public sphere. The students who pursue this degree become versed in current issues in areas such as cultural diversity, critical pedagogy, media literacy, feminist educational practice, arts advocacy, and school reform. The culminating thesis project combines critical inquiry and social engagement with students' past and present experiences. Students approach their thesis through a variety of methods of inquiry and forms of documentation, including organizing exhibitions, developing and implementing curriculum, and using digital technologies.

For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons, and LeRoy Neiman.